Roberts, David Neal (Oral history)

British officer served as staff officer with Headquarters, Fighter Command, RAF Bentley Priory, Stanmore, GB, 1938-1940; commanded RAF Middle Wallop in GB, 6/1940-11/1941; commanded Assam Command, RAF and served with Headquarters, Royal Air Force Bengal and Burma in India, 1942-1943; served as Head of British Air Mission in Moscow, Soviet Union, 1943-1944

REEL 1 Background in GB, 1906-1924: family; education. Aspects of period as officer with Royal Air Force in GB and Estonia, 1924-1938: transfer to Royal Air Force after period aboard naval training ship HMS Conway, 1924; attending Royal Air Force College Cranwell, 1924-1926; background to becoming flying instructor, 1928; orders from Lord Hugh Trenchard that Royal Air Force officers should specialise, 1929; specialising in Russian language. Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, Fighter Command, Bentley Priory, Stanmore, GB, 1938-1940: opinion of Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park; reaction to declaration of Second World War, 3/9/1939. Aspects of period as station commander at RAF Middle Wallop in GB, 6/1940-11/1941: appointment to station, 6/1940; problems of station being under construction; opinion of work of General Post Office in putting in phone lines. REEL 2 Continues: squadrons that operated from station; damage caused by German Air Force raids, 8/1940; conditions during Battle of Britain; leaving role, 11/1941. Aspects of voyage from GB to India via Dutch East Indies, 1941-1942: diversion of convoy to Dutch East Indies; sight of refugees from Singapore, Malaya at Tangjong Priola, Java, Dutch East Indies; embarkation aboard SS Kedah at Tjilatjap, Java, Dutch East Indies; problems with SS Kedah's engines on route to India. Aspects of period commanding Assam Command, RAF in India, 5/1942-10/1942: orders to set up fighter defences for Calcutta; lack of facilities for fighter defence at Calcutta; dropping supplies to refugees during evacuation of Burma. REEL 3 Continues: Aspects of period as staff officer with Headquarters, Royal Air Force Bengal and Burma, Barrackpore, India, 1943: proposed duties; how he came to leave role; attitude to serving in Far East. Recollections of period as Head of British Air Mission in Moscow, Soviet Union, 1943-1944: journey to Moscow via Tehran, Iran; lack of co-operation from Soviets; friction between British Ambassador and British Military Attache; teasing of Soviets; attitude to serving in Soviet Union; Aspects of period as staff officer to Headquarters, Transport Command in GB, 1945: appointment to Transport Command; role of command after end of war; duties on VE Day, 8/5/1945.